Cycle control in accounting



Sept. 5, 1944. w. A. ANDERSON CYCLE CONTROL IN ACCOUNTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ii M0. \w/ M @C @Y J @Q a 9 0, I a in m 0 HrI EITILJEL Filed June 28, 1941 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON BY K ATTORNEY Sept. 5, 1944- w. A. ANDERSON CYCLE CONTROL IN ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed June 28, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r MIDPOINT 0F CYCLE WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION '--"'W|THOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON BY I ' TTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1944 OFFICE 2,351,511 crow com in ACCOUNTING moms Walter A. Anderson, Bridgeport, m, assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New YorhN. Y., a co poration of Delaware Application June 28, 1941, Serial No. 400,217

2 Claims. ('01. 235-62) This invention relates to accounting machines and more particularly to improved meansfor controlling the movement of actuating mechanisms therein.

In machines such as shown in the U. S, Patent- No. 2,194,270 of Oscar J. Sundstrand, there is employed a plurality of type bars that are raised by lift springs to printing position during the fore part of a cycle and lowered to normal position against the tension of the springs during the latter part of a cycle by a conventional motor-drive mechanism.

It has been found in practice that the sudden upward pull of the lift springs at the beginning of a cycle, coupled with the upward tension of certain transfer springs, forces the bars ahead of the motor drive parts, causing a jerky, uneven movement. It has been found also that the stretching of the lift and transfer springs during the latter part of the cycle places a considerable load upon the motor, which load at times causes the machine to stall.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a means to effect a drag upon the bars during the fore part of the cycle, to prevent their overrunning the motor drive parts during this part of the cycle, and which will also assist the motor drive in pulling the heavy load imposed thereon during the latter part of the cycle.

with these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a right side elevation showing the type bars, the actuating mechanism and the improved means for controlling the movements thereof,

Figure 2 is a right side elevation of certain of the parts shown in Figure 1, showing the position of the parts midway of the first half of a machine cycle,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the parts shown in the position that they occupy at the end of the first half of a cycle, and

Figure 4 is a graph diagram indicating, by comparative lines, the superior degree of uniformity attained throughout a cycle by the use of the improved controlling means,

Actuating mechanism generally Referring to Figure 1, the type bars I are suitably guided for vertical movement. The lower ends of the type bars are each provided with a slotted arm 2, embracing a stud 3 on the forward end of levers l pivoted on a rod 5. Strong springs 0 attached to levers l and to the machine frame, tend to rotate the levers clockwise. The levers are normally restrained against such movement by their forward arms bearing against a rod 1 extending between spaced, identical cam levers 8 pivoted on rod 5. These cam levers in turn, are restrained by resting against corresponding rollers 9 of corresponding identical spaced arms l2 secured to an actuating shaft I3. Auxiliary extensions pivoted to the lower ends of type bars I, each have slotted arms l5 similarly embracing studs It on the forward ends of levers l1 pivoted on a rod I8. Strong springs I9, similar to springs 6, are attached to levers I! and to the machine frame and tend to rotate levers I l clockwise. Type bars I and extensions l4 each have rearward projections 20 from which are suspended the usual adding and subtracting racks II that cooperate with the conventional upper and lower crossfooters indicated at 31 and 38 respectively.

When the machine is in its normal position as shown in Figure l, springs 39 connected between adding and subtracting racks 2| and de pending arms 40 formed on extensions 20 exert upward tension on extensions l4 and bars I. Springs 39 are the conventional transfer springs that are utilized for effecting a transfer from one order to another as disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,194,270.

The machine is actuated by an electric motor (not shown). The motor is started by the closing of a suitable switch mechanism and is coupled with actuating shaft I3 by a suitable clutch mechanism upon depression of a motor bar (not shown). The actuating shaft is connected with the motor drive in such manner that the shaft is rocked first counter-clockwise-and then clockwise about during each operation of the machine.

When the machine is operated, rollers 9 move, first, counter=clockwise about actuating shaft i3, allowing springs S and I9 to raise type bars I and extensions it. The amount of movement imparted to the type bars and their extensions is controlled by the amount entered in the keyboard (not shown). Entry of an amount in the keyboard sets conventional stop mechanism, indicated at ii, to diii'erentially stop the bars in accordance with the amount entered. Arms I2 swing clockwise during the latter part of a cycle, camming levers 8 and rod '1 downwardly to restore the bars and their extensions to normal position as shown in Figure 1.

It has been found that the combined upward urge of springs 6, I9, and the transfer springs 39, is sufficient to move bars 1 ahead of the motor drive just after the roller 9 leaves the dwell portions 8a of levers 8, at the beginning of a cycle. Thi premature movement or "jump of bars 1 causes a jerky operation of the machine, and

Auxiliary control means The auxiliary control means comprises a cam 22 pivoted at 23 to a bracket 26 secured on the machine frame. Strong springs 25 connected between the cam and the bracket normally tension the cam counter-clockwise. A depending shoulder 26 formed on the cam and bearing against a It has been found in practice that by the application of the above described device, a smooth and uniform movement of the type bars is obstud 21 secured in bracket 26 arrests the cam in its normal position shown in Figure 1. A notch 28 receives roller 9 and a slot 29 embraces a roller 32 mounted on lever 8.

When the machine is in normal or rest position, the dwell portion 8a of lever 8 lies concentric with the center of shaft l3, as shown in Figure 1. As the machine is cycled, roller 9 moves along the dwell portion 8a of lever 8 until it strikes a face 35 of notch 28, whereupon it pivots cam 22 clockwise against the tension of springs 25. During the movement of the parts from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2, i. e., to a position midway of the first half of a cycle, roller 32 moves along slot 29. The combined urge of the lift and transfer springs pulls roller 32 upwardly against the upper face 30 of slot 29 and, during this movement, the tension exerted by springs produces sufi'lcient drag to overcome the before-mentioned premature movement of the type bars ahead of the motor drive. The portion 33 on lever 8 is given a contour that .will just permit movement of roller 9 as cam 22 swings clockwise, and as face restricts upward movement of roller 32 and lever 8. As the cycle continues, roller 32 moves from face 38 to a face 36 on cam 22, meeting this cam surface just before the roller 9 reaches the end of face 36 as shown in Figure 2. Since face 36 is concentric with the center of rod 5, when the parts reach this position, no further movement is imparted to cam 22 during the remainder of the fore part of the cycle, roller 32 now serving to hold cam 22 in its operated position against the tension of springs It will be noted that during the movements Just described, springs 25 are stretched and consequently, during the latter part of the cycle, exert counter-clockwise tension on cam 22. As the parts restore from the position shown in, Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 2, and finally back to normal, to the position shown in Figure 1, rollers 32 and 9 re-enter slot 29 and notch 34, respectively, at which time the counterclockwise tension exerted upon cam 22 by springs 25 materially assists the motor in restoring type bars 8 and extensions it.

tained, and that the resistance oflered by the lift and transfer springs during the restoring movement is' substantially reduced. Generally speaking, by the use of this device there is effected a more smooth and uniform operationof the parts throughout the entire cycle.

Figure 4 illustrates, diagrammatically, the superior degree of uniformity attained throughout a cycle by the application of the device. The full line in this figure represents the distribution of load throughout a machine cycle when the present improvement (i. e., the construction including cam 22 and springs 25) is applied, while the dotted line shows the load distribution without the improvement (i. e., without cam 22 and springs 25). It will be especially noted that with the improvement applied, at no time during the cycle does the load drop below zero and that the peak load at the end of the cycle-has been materially reduced.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described having differential actuators and a motor-driven actuating mechanism including an oscillating arm carrying a roller, and a cam lever cooperating therewith, spring means normally urging the actuators in one direction, and a member on the cam lever for controlling the movement of the actuators, the combination of a second cam lever having a notch and a slot, the notch embracing said roller and the slot embracing a roller moun ed on the said first-mentioned cam lever, a spring connected to the second cam lever, and faces on the notch and on the slot cooperating with the rollers to oppose movement of the actuators when they travel in said one direction and to assist in the movement of the actuators when they travel in an opposite direction,

2. In a machine of the class described having reciprocally movable difierential actuators, springs for advancing the actuators from normal to differential operated positions, and motordriven mechanism for permitting the advance of and effecting return of the actuators, the combination of a spring-pulled movable device having a connection with the motor-driven mechanism for opposing and assisting said mechanism in its operation, said connection including a cam mounted for rotation about a single axis and having a dwell for distributing the opposing and assisting efiect of the device between the extremities of acceleration and deceleration of the motordriven mechanism by the actuator springs.

WALTER A. ANDERSON. 

